Simon Gosejohann in an interview: “I don’t have to be the cool player”

From 2002 to 2013, Simon Gosejohann (48) made the streets of German cities unsafe with his pranks in his format “Comedystreet” – until everyone knew him. Now the format is back: On August 7, 20 new episodes of “Comedystreet” will start on the streaming provider Joyn.

Virtually nothing has changed, as Gosejohann will once again be playing pranks on unsuspecting passers-by with a hidden camera in the eighth season. In an interview with the news agency spot on news, the comedian talks about how the comeback after eleven years feels for him, how he feels about the development of humor, which pranks even he finds uncomfortable – and what he actually got up to during the “Comedystreet” break.

How does it feel to return with “Comedystreet” after so many years?

Simon Gosejohann: Absolutely fantastic. Because it worked just as well as ever, because it felt exactly the same. Because the same author and director has been involved since episode one, as well as my brother, who initially did the camera work and is now also involved as a director. In this season, my girlfriend even joined in and took care of the costumes. So I was surrounded by my loved ones in a great family atmosphere, which had a good vibe.

How has the format changed during the long break?

Gosejohann: The break obviously plays into the hands of a format with a hidden camera. Eleven years of absence means there is a whole generation that grew up without Comedystreet and that I can poke fun at again. And the older ones don’t remember so quickly… As far as the format goes, we’re more of a back-to-the-roots show. Fast, clip-like 25 minutes with lots of new characters, but also the classic characters from back then. And there are three of us this time. Presenter Sandra Sprünken and social media entertainer Marco Gianni are on board.

Did you expect that “Comedy Street” would ever come back?

Gosejohann: It was a bit in the air. The retro TV trend even brought “The Price is Right” back to life. I felt that our format was never out of date. So one or two clips have obviously aged badly, there’s no question about that, but the format itself doesn’t really get old, you’re filming outside in real life, in the here and now. Of course you have to adapt the ideas, that’s very important and this time it was a lot of work to keep things in a framework that was funny and contemporary. But yes, it was in the air.

Do you think that pranks and the reactions to them have changed a lot in the last 20 years? Many pranks are no longer possible these days…

Gosejohann: I don’t know if we’ve always been so extreme. We’re always dependent on people giving their consent. So we can’t insult them crudely, because they don’t want to go on TV with something like that. We’ve always been dependent on each other, since the first episode. The things that have happened in society, the woke generation, #MeToo and so on, I’ve mostly welcomed them. All of this leads to a respectful, appreciative social coexistence that is good for us.

Our humor is not without embarrassment, that’s clear. But it’s important to stay on an equal footing and not to choose humor that makes fun of other people. This isn’t “Comedy Street,” but it never was. There are far more issues than sexism, racism, and body shaming. I mean, our everyday lives are full of absurdities, weirdness, wild jobs, and idiots, so we can find something else.

Has humor itself changed a lot in the last 20 years?

Gosejohann: A lot was shown in the 2000s. And the cliché box was opened up quite brutally, especially towards homosexual people. We also had the gay construction worker once, who perhaps didn’t age so well, we weren’t sure. In the end we did the following: the gay construction worker is now straight and we’ll see what happens.

When you watch the pranks, you always feel really embarrassed. Are you sometimes embarrassed by your own pranks?

Gosejohann: I’m totally above that. I think it’s funny, I like to make a fool of myself. I don’t have to be the cool player in my characters, the trash types are just as much fun. But when I get people into uncomfortable situations, I feel uncomfortable too, I can’t help it. What feels uncomfortable for the viewer obviously feels uncomfortable for me as an actor too.

What do you remember as particularly unpleasant?

Gosejohann: For example, I play a grumpy character: He goes into shops and complains for no reason and announces that he will give a bad review online. That is so mean, because this rating system that you can access on social media is so relevant and far-reaching. It really shocked the people I did this prank with: Why only one star? It was really unpleasant to give people such a bad review that has no basis – especially when people put so much effort into their business.

Where do you draw the line when it comes to pranks?

Gosejohann: Nothing is too embarrassing for me, I have no limits, everything is open. Of course, you have to take into account what the legislator brings into being. It may be that a violation of boundaries could sometimes be funny, an administrative offence or something like that. But on the whole, I think that’s the wrong path. Otherwise, I don’t think so much about boundaries, but more about what is funny.

How did you experience the filming? How did the secrecy of the “Comedy Street” comeback work out?

Gosejohann: At first, the secrecy worked quite well because people weren’t expecting it. A format that hasn’t existed for eleven years is no longer on their radar. Then it became a bit more, word got around in some cities and then there was a press release. That’s why we did a bit more with masks again.

What makes the ultimate “victim” for a “Comedy Street” prank?

Gosejohann: We do that intuitively and depending on the situation. In addition, my risk of being caught is significantly higher with men between 30 and 40 than with women. It seems that they also prefer to laugh at themselves and were a little more lenient when it came to giving their consent. It is also always better to speak to people while they are sitting down; you shouldn’t stop travelers. In addition, we are in Germany, and there are a few other aspects such as regulations and permits that I will gladly spare you for now.

When you went back to the streets to prank after all these years, was there a blockade or did you go right back in?

Gosejohann: I thought a lot the nights before: Are people more aggressive these days? Where are we going? Are there still inner cities like they used to be or have they all been put into a deep sleep by the Corona crisis? But on the first day of shooting, everything was actually as it was before. I would also like to say at this point: Any dystopian thinking is unjustified. We are doing well, the people are pleasant and what goes around comes around.

You haven’t been very present on TV in recent years – what have you been up to?

Gosejohann: I have always worked hard and always tried to place the best formats possible. I have done various TV shows. There were also flops – because as is the case when you have been doing it for over 20 years, things sometimes go wrong. There is always the question of how you are positioned, because if you don’t have an exclusive contract with a broadcaster, you won’t get the next format so quickly. Often I was just a guest and that was fine and good. During the Corona crisis, I literally quizzed my way through Ruth Moschner, and I was of course grateful for that.

Speaking of colleagues: Simon and Elton were long considered a TV dream couple. Are you still in touch today?

Gosejohann: Elton and I are in contact. Two or three years can go by without us having any contact, but that’s okay. When we see each other then, we’re like an old married couple. We may be separated, but by and large we remain married.